Ruule Gurdago, Gurdaago rules the waves...

Really? Gurdago has a terrestrial namesake? When/where? I mean, I already knew about (say) Ctesiphon, or Pristina, but Gurdago? doesn't sound like anyplace I know of . . .

Hmm, judging by what you've told of it, Bezuxao sounds like absolute anathema to the Xurnese mindset . . . it must really be causing some trouble. . . it will be interesting to see how the Cheiyu ruling class manages to reconcile such a radical doctrine with being members of the establishment (although they will, of course, ruling classes always seem to find a way to get religion on their side).

Is nihilism an established philosophy within Verduria yet? or does that have to wait until technology grows a bit more and humanistic teachings start to decline?

And what about religion for the Skourenes and Gurdagor? do they have their own, or do they adopt from their neighbours? and did the ancient Skourene city-states have secular traditions?

--Welcome to our little club . . . of DOOM!
Invader Zim

Mark responds:

1. Think of another ancient empire founded by seafarers far from
its country of origin, which it soon eclipsed. (Hint: it's not an
exact phonetic match; but it sounds more like it in the Latin form.)

2. Rather as on Earth, nihilism is rarely taken to its logical
extreme (e.g. suicide and despair). As such it can serve as a radical
expression of dissent. The Cheiyu found it attractive in their struggle
against the Xurnese; and not a few Xurnese enjoyed its caustic cynicism.
As well, Bezuxao has positive elements-- though these are mostly enjoyed
by means of drug-induced trances. Followers hint that these trances
reveal the real structure of the universe, but believing that all
communication distorts, they are strictly forbidden to describe them
or base doctrines on them.

3. Read the section on Dashcor Churmey in the page on Cadhinorian
paganism and judge for yourself!

4. The ancient Skourenes were polytheists, and indeed each city
tended to have (or develop) its own gods. Various philosophies
flourished with no state interference. Gurdago settled on a fixed
pantheon with a powerful priestly hierarchy, inseparable from the
imperial administration; the southern Skourenes kept a dizzying
agglomeration of gods and spirits (though some adopted Endajue);
the northern Skourenes, nearest the Tzhuro, generalized their gods
into an abstract quaternity: Mind, Will, Power, and Love.